Three great horned owl eggs are under the watchful eyes of their mom and dad at Ellis Bird Farm, as well as viewers who tune into the Ellis Bird Farm Owl Cam on YouTube.
“We don’t have a huge audience, but it’s definitely growing,” said Amy Jin, education co-ordinator.
She said the adult owls are likely the same pair, named Ellie and Alberta, who have been returning to the nest for years.
“We don’t band them so we can’t definitely say that these owls are returning every year,” Jin said.
But she said avid owl cam viewers believe they are Ellie and Albert based on their markings and colours, and the habit owls have of returning to their previous nest.
In mid-February the owls returned to the Ellis Bird Farm area in Lacombe County. By early March the eggs were being laid, and the first egg is expected to hatch in a couple of weeks.
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“Right now is a quiet time. Not much is happening. She’s just sitting on the eggs.”
Jin said the male owl has been bringing his mate mice to eat while she stays put most of the time, even during snow storms. Hopefully all three eggs will hatch and owl cam viewers will get to see the activity of the tiny owlets and how fast they grow.
“It’s really neat to see just how they do things. And you get to see really cute things, like the owlets sleeping on their faces,” said Jin, explaining that owlets have trouble supporting their heads when they are young.
Last year two owlets were born in the nest.
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Ellis Bird Farm is also keeping a lookout for mountain bluebirds who return early in the spring. Anyone who spots a bluebird in the area is encouraged to pass on their report to the farm.
Jin said visitors to the farm have been concerned about the local bird populations due to the spread of avian influenza. Luckily, small songbird populations were not impacted last year, and the number of birds at Ellis Bird Farm remained fairly steady.
Ellis Bird Farm and its Cafe officially opens for the season on May 22. Hours of operation will be extended this year and will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Jin said more people have discovered the bird farm as a result of the pandemic, which also has expanded its trails.
“A lot of our visitors were from either Calgary or Edmonton and we were the meeting point for families or friends gathering outside. It was really cool to see that.”
A bumblebee house workshop is scheduled for March 25. For details on this workshop, and others, visit Ellis Bird Farm on Facebook or @EllisBirdFarm on Twitter.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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